The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.
The building was nestled deep in the earth, safe in the hidden green hills of the valley. It had turned out to be a beautiful home, warm in the winter, cool in the summer. The home was so comfortable it was like living in the womb of Gaia herself, or so Jacosta thought. It had become something for her hands to be proud of.
This had been where her hard earned and saved dinars and her energy had been going the last few years. It had been a long, slow process, and it was one of a few places that she'd spent time cultivating as "emergency" living spaces, all of them special and unique in their own right. It was one of the benefits of being in the hilly and caved part of the world.
She knew it was irrational to have so many places to run to, but her brother had, over the course of their relationship, instilled a very real sense of paranoia within her. She didn't like the feeling, so making livable, comfortable hiding places was her way of dealing with it. She'd been doing this since her woman's blood first spilled on the earth and her brother had first made mention of marrying her off. She'd "run away" and Aulix would search in all the wrong places. Then she'd show up sometime later, when she thought the suitor had lost interest. He'd try and punish her (but mostly they just fought) then they would get on with living and she would clean the mess he'd made of their mother's house. That was the main reason she'd stayed. It was her only link to her mother, though it had become less and less the place she remembered.
She had a real talent for making things feel homey. She knew that. She might not look like much, but she could make a place, any place, look good, feel like home, feel special. She had listened and learned at her mother's knee. Fresh flowers here, curtains there. Soft things, warm thing, home things. She could do that. She'd always been able to do that. She'd just extended that talent to building and making. It gave her body something to do while her mind sought it's freedom through her talent's expression.
She'd become quite the carpenter, the craftswoman, buying materials as she could. There were still a few pieces left from when she first started making. They brought a smile to her lips when she thought of their crudeness. She'd spent hours (before Aulix found out) at Mancira's until the kind man had finally told her that if she was going to spend that much time in his shop, she might as well make herself useful. Mancira was the only man she would have considered. He treated her like a human being. Aulix, however, thought Mancira was too low for his purposes. Still, she'd learned a lot and she snuck in to visit and be taught by the carpenter. That is, until he was killed in another skirmish with the Amazons. He'd left her his tools. Aulix had wanted to sell them, but they were all mysteriously gone from the shop. She'd left nothing for Aulix to take from her.
At first, she even practiced her skills when she was at her mother's home, but Aulix never noticed or he at least never said anything. It didn't matter what she could do, only what he believed she could do. It was an odd little world he lived in. When the tools were no longer "available", she'd left off repairing the problems in the house and Aulix had convinced himself that he had been right. She was only meant for housework and bearing children. If he could find a man who would have her. That had given her incentive and this little uprising he was planning had given her the motivation to hurry up her plans.
This hiding place wasn't even the farthest, just the least likely spot for him to look and one of her favorites. Funny, now that she thought about it, all of them were located near the Amazon lands. It hadn't really been done on purpose, but she had her reasons for staying so close to the borders.
She grinned. He would never think to search for her near the Amazons. He had, after all, successfully convinced her of what he would do if she did run to them. It was another irrational fear for her to deal with and she'd made deliberate choices because of it. She always dealt with her fears, even if they were a step too late.
So she lived close to the Amazons. Even if she couldn't be a part of them, she could live near them. At one time the valley had been part of the Amazon nation, but so had the land the village of her birth occupied. The real usurpers had been the invaders of long ago, no matter what Aulix said. There was a history to that, and the way mother explained it to her, the Amazons could ask them to leave anytime. It was in the treaty, the one she kept hidden, with several other scrolls from the past, within a cave not too far from here. The scrolls were an inherited burden, passed from daughter to mother. It was by the grace of the Queens of the past that she was even born so close to this land. So close, yet so far away. She sighed and squinted up at the blue sky. No, Aulix wouldn't *think* to look here, nor would he think to look with the Amazons.
He would reason it this way: if she was going to run to the Amazons she would have done so a long time ago, therefore, she must have headed in another direction, a small town. He'd look fruitlessly within a day or two's perimeter. Perhaps, if he weren't occupying his time with conquering the Amazons, he would even search longer and farther, but it wouldn't be in this direction. His mind wouldn't allow him to think of it. He would never harm them because of her.
She had made sure of it. She'd told the priest everything about Aulix's plan (at least what she knew of it), when she'd handed over his son. The priest had told her he would take care of everything, make sure the village council knew and could act. He'd even patted her shoulder reassuringly, before turning to his son, his face a vision of anger and pain. Yes, the priest would take care of Aulix.
It left her free to go. She was tired of dealing with her brother, of trying to stop him. It was up to the council now and she was glad to let them have him. She could go on with her life, though it might be lonely. Maybe, someday, an Amazon would visit, perhaps one with hair the color of flame. The thought warmed her. It wasn't really a possibility, but one could dream.
As far as she knew, and she'd watched for days, before settling, the Amazons didn't patrol this area. Though she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because no one ever settled that close anymore. Not since the last battle. Or maybe it was just too rocky and sheer, though it didn't really seem that way to her. The hills were a protection, a barrier, but they weren't that hard to traverse. She should know. A body couldn't build without materials and couldn't live without the necessities of life.
There were places where it would seem logical that the Amazons patrol. And they did actually, mostly. But it seemed like they were missing the very best places, the best places to watch this side of the world. She'd found several of those. There was a certain point, on the other side of the valley, where it you could see for miles. You could see everything, including her village and a couple of others if you looked hard enough. She'd built a comfy cubby there too, an overhang with the benefit of a fire place, (It got very cold in the winter), so she could go whenever she wanted and look. It was a steep trip, but worth it and there were a few supplies just in case. That's what her life had become.
Just in case. It seemed like everything in her life was preparation for something. It was as if she were driven to it. She laughed to herself. That was an accurate perception. She was driven to it. By Aulix. She wondered when it would end. Then she realized it had. It had ended. She was home. She'd made her decision. Actually, watching the Amazon fight and then leave had made her decision. There was nothing at the old house she wanted and what she really wanted she wasn't at the farm and she couldn't have. So, Aulix could have the farm, if he could keep it. She would have this place. She smiled into the sun as relief washed through her body. She was done running and done fighting. She looked at her new home.
The land was an anomaly, but she'd found quite a few of those. Yet another knack of hers. This was one of those beautiful hidden places she'd discovered in her search for safety. Jacosta loved it completely. Fresh springs, strong deeply rooted trees and foliage, defendable position, workable soil and a special warm feeling that she got every time she entered. It was as if it were holy ground. She snorted, yeah right. Like there would be a forgotten holy ground near Amazon lands. What would that make her? The priestess? She had to laugh. A priestess of Many Hidden Holy places? She laughed even harder, folding over with mirth. Oh oh . . and these little homes she'd made, they'd be shrines. .NO. .temples. . hidden temples. . Gods, this was funny. . .Hidden temples and look out points made for living in. Why, she could just invite the Amazons in, change the borderlines. Lived in Temples. Oh yeah. Like that would happen.
No, no. She calmed down, her eyes still merry. She was no priestess. She was just a woman with a few skills and these were her safe places. The borders were where they were and there would be no Amazons coming to live in those spread out little places she'd built. The proud warrior of last night would never see the inside of one of her small homes. (She winced inside at the thought) The beds would go unused and the chairs unsat upon. No doubt the animals would find their way into a few of them. That was okay. She'd made her choice. This valley was hers. The gods could have the rest.
She entered her temple, (and she laughed because her mind couldn't escape the image) her home, with a peaceful heart.
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These pages were last updated: October 26, 1997
İOctober1997